At the root of shame is a painful awareness:
We are flawed.
We fall short. Break things. And disappoint others and ourselves.
We carry weakness in our bodies, emotions, histories, and choices.
And shame seizes on that truth, twisting it into a lie:
“Your humanity is beyond hope.”
But Christmas declares the opposite.
When Christ took on flesh, He did not avoid humanity—He redeemed it.
Jesus didn’t come pretending to be human.
He came fully human.
Born into a family line.
Subject to hunger, fatigue, sorrow, rejection.
Tempted — yet without sin.
Shame Rx:
Shame loses its grip when we realize our humanity is not without hope—it is the very place Christ came to redeem.
From the beginning, shame has tried to convince us that being human is something to hide.
Adam and Eve covered themselves.
We still do.
But Jesus uncovered humanity — not to expose it, but to heal it.
By entering our broken image, Christ restored the image of God in us.
He did not erase our humanity;
He dignified it.
Shame says, “You are too weak to be worthy.”
Jesus says, “I became weak so you could be made whole.”
Shame says, “Your flaws disqualify you.”
Jesus says, “Your flaws are why I came.”
The Incarnation proclaims this breathtaking truth:
God was not repelled by our humanity —
He wrapped Himself in it.
And because Christ has redeemed our humanity, shame no longer has authority.
We are not mistakes waiting to be fixed.
We are image-bearers being restored.
Shame is gone — not because we became perfect,
but because Christ became human.
Reflection Questions
- Where have I believed the lie that my humanity is a liability instead of a gift God is redeeming?
- How does Jesus taking on flesh reshape the way I view my weaknesses?
- What part of my humanity do I need to bring out of hiding and into Christ’s healing light?
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for taking on flesh and entering my humanity without shame. Where I have believed that my weakness disqualifies me, remind me that You came to redeem my broken image. Heal what feels flawed, restore what feels damaged, and help me live free — knowing that in You, shame has lost its power. Amen.
Check out the Seeing Deep blog this week as we trace Jesus through the Scriptures all month.